Books-A-Million names a vice president of e-commerce

By Bill BriggsSenior Editor

The retail chain bookseller taps James Phelps to help build its online business.

Chain book retailer Books-A-Million Inc. has hired James Phelps as vice president of e-commerce. He will be responsible for executing branding, merchandising and marketing strategy for Booksamillion.com.

Phelps has almost 15 years of experience in e-commerce, serving with retailers including HSN Inc., Kohl’s Corp. and Brookstone Inc., Books-A-Million says.

“We are pleased to welcome James to Books-A-Million, and look forward to him bringing his expertise to our team as we continue to build our digital business,” says Cy Fenton, Books-A-Million’s chief information officer and president of Booksamillion.com.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to bring my in-store experience to the Books-A-Million brand online,” Phelps says. “My focus is to not only create synergy between the online and in-store shopping experience, but to give our customers compelling reasons to make Booksamillion.com their primary destination for the best selection of books, toys, tech and more.”

Books-A-Million had $24 million in web sales in 2013, down by 1.2% from $24.3 million in the prior year, according to Internet Retailer estimates published in the Internet Retailer 2014 Top 500 Guide. Books-A-Million is No. 476.

In addition to its e-commerce site, the merchant operates 254 stores in 33 states and the District of Columbia.